Three things to watch for Tottenham’s visit to Villa Park

Tottenham invade Villa Park on Sunday in what amounts to a must win for the away side, and executing three facets are necessary to leaving with all three points. 

While the result is undeniably the most important takeaway from Sunday’s match, Tottenham will need to show significant improvement in a few key areas to build momentum for coming encounters.

1. Dominate and dictate play

Too often under Jose Mourinho the side is satisfied with playing on the defensive, without the ball. That serves a definite purpose, allowing Spurs to attack more lethally on the counter. But against a relegation favourite, Spurs must show their superiority in possession, even away from the friendly confines of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mourinho’s men need to dictate the tempo while dominating the ball. Players with Spurs’ pedigree and skill set have to take the impetus from the outset, putting Aston Villa, a team that bleeds goals uncontrollably, perpetually on the back foot.

2. Win the midfield battle

The result may come down to which team wins the midfield battle, an area Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks are responsible for. Everybody knows the qualities Jack Grealish embodies. He is Villa’s engine room, their muse and creative inspiration. With five assists, Grealish has two more than Spurs assist leader, Son Heung-Min. Lo Celso and Winks must take control of the tempo, both with and without the ball. Their influence will be instrumental in whether Spurs leave the midlands with an all-important victory.

3. Pressure Premier League’s worst defence

Recent history has proven that Tottenham don’t fire on all cylinders offensively in hostile environments. Mourinho’s men have not scored a goal in three top flight matches. That’s a woeful record. There’s no better opportunity to right an offensive wrong than against the league’s most porous defence. Aston Villa have conceded 47 goals (21 at home), and are irrefutably the most disorganized, loosest defence. Failure to score against Villa will destroy Tottenham’s already frail confidence in front of goal.

But remember, this is Steven Bergwijn’s first away match for Spurs. The lads need to play on the front foot, attack with reckless abandon, play forward quickly and take calculated risks. It’s not an afternoon to show tentativeness, as another away goalless contest would be catastrophic for a side searching for the bravado and swagger we used to know and love.